Black and White
by Veridisquoz
Summary: Sasaki is slowly losing control of his "other side". He's becomng more violent as the walls crumble. With Aogiri Tree waging a war against the CCG, how long will Sasaki be able to run from his past?
1. Chapter 1

The suitcase clanged at Sasaki's side as he jumped effortlessly over the fence. His white coat swayed in the breeze. He was close. Sasaki was chasing an A rank ghoul by the name of Cerberus, known for over thirty recent attacks in the 13th ward. Just up ahead a figure shrouded in a black cloak bounded down the cluttered alleyway.

Sasaki ran faster, barely missing a collision with a vagrant laying among the heaps of trash. The shrouded figure before him was definitely Cerberus. The ghoul smelled sickly sweet. The intoxicating aroma of death. Cerberus rounded a nearby corner, knocking over a trashcan in the process. Sasaki could see obvious signs of fatigue in the ghoul's gait. It was clear that he hadn't eaten recently. Cerberus staggered as he collided with a street sign, the sign buckling under the immense power of the charging ghoul. Cerberus, desperate to outrun Sasaki began to scale the building, using the windows as rungs to boost himself higher. Haise glared as Cerberus reached the roof of the building and began to run yet again.

"Ehhh, not up there." Sasaki groaned as he leaped, following the ghouls movements. Sasaki came to rest on the roof of the building, quickly continuing the chase. His patience was wearing thin. Haise rapidly dashed forward, cutting off Cerberus's escape routes. "Make this easier on yourself", Sasaki said, pressing the button on his suitcase. The long blade shot from the silver casing. His quinque, the Yukimura released a crackle of electricity as it took shape. "The path you're walking only leads to pain."

Cerberus roared as his Bikaku erupted from his lower back. The appendage split into three parts, each resembling a hungry open mouth. Cerberus' oily black kagune slithered menacingly as he lowered his head and slipped a mask from beneath his cloak. Cerberus positioned the mask on his face and let out a canine growl. The brown leather mask resembled a demonic dog, sharp teeth protruding from the sides. The eyes were free while the mouth elongated into a vicious snout. "CCG bastard!" Cerberus growled menacingly, bounding towards Sasaki in a fit of animalistic rage. Despite being quite bulky, his movements were swift and precise. Sasaki swiftly evaded the obvious attack and swung Yukimura upward, slicing through Cerberus's kagune with little effort. The black attachment flopped uselessly to the ground. Cerberus recoiled in agony as Sasaki rushed forward and executed a powerful kick. Cerberus flew backwards and upon landing, launched his Bikaku forward. Sasaki ducked, barley dodging the attack, and in a flash was face to face with Cerberus. The slash was instantaneous. Cerberus's head was separated from his body; the eyes and brain still failing to comprehend what had just transpired. Blood cascaded from the now open wound, engulfing the roof in a shower of crimson. "Simple enough." Sasaki commented to no one in particular, wiping gore from the tip of his quinque. There was no remorse in his voice. Almost empty. He wasn't himself and he was aware of this…. But he liked it… He quietly retracted his weapon and prepared to meet up with the other members of his squad.


	2. Chapter 2

_The bucket was full… Blood stained the checkerboard floor, gliding slowly along the tile. The bucket was emptied… The nubs that were once his fingers leaked as his toes began to reform. How many days was it? His finger was cleanly lacerated. 993… 986… 979… The numbers were all he had to hold on to. The pain was white hot. The bucket was full… "Haiiiissssse… You remember don't you? You know who you __**really **__are. Accept it. Wipe away the false reality." The Bucket was empty… No no no. 972… 965… 958… Please… Not my ear. The centipede writhed as it entered. Laughter. Flowers. Soooo hungry... Hide why are you here? That sweet taste. IT'S GOING THROUGH MY HEAD. I CANT SEE. SCRAMBLED MY INSIDES. The brain burns… _

Sasaki awoke from the dream drenched in sweat, clutching his left eye. Why was he holding his eye, he wondered, remembering the sequence of numbers in his head. _951…_ He'd had the dream again, it was becoming too frequent. Something was wrong in his mind, as though someone else was trying to push against who he really was. _The man with the mask. _The face of a man with white hair pierced his memory. The elongated mask fresh in his mind. _Accept me…_ "Is something wrong, Haise?" came a voice from the doorway. Sasaki frantically turned to see Arima. Relieved, Sasaki quickly replied with a soft and unsure, "No. I'm fine." "Just a bad dream", he continued. "What did you dream exactly?" Arima asked, suddenly intrigued. "Oh… Nothing, just a nightmare. I'll be fine in the morning. I'm sure." Sasaki explained, trying to end the conversation quickly. "Understandable. I'll be in my room if you need me. Just decided to check in on you." Arima replied, trailing off. He slowly turned and exited Haise's room, leaving him once again alone. White silence filled the room.

"Morning!" Sasaki yawned to Ginshi as he entered the kitchen area. Sasaki had barely slept; his salt and pepper hair messily strewn about. "Mornin'" Ginshi retorted, downing the last of his breakfast. Ginshi let out a smile as Haise took the chair across from him, his sharp teeth shining. "Rough night?" "Something like that." Haise replied sleepily pouring himself a cup of coffee. Urie entered the kitchen slowly, staring intently at Sasaki. "Morn-"Ginshi started but was quickly cut off as Urie shot a question towards Haise. "What happened yesterday on the mission?" Sasaki sipped his coffee calmly as Urie's glare intensified. "What are you referring to?" Sasaki asked, placing the cup down softly on the table. "You know damn well what. You left the group without word and chased after Cerberus on your own. That's reckless of a squad leader." Urie continued, infuriating Ginshi. "As squad leader correct?" Sasaki repeated, instantly changing tone. He was fed up. Haise was disgusted by the presence of Urie. The constant undermining of his authority was slowly eating away at Sasaki. He was at his limit.

_Accept me. _"As squad leader, I suggest you shut the fuck up." "Excuse m-" Urie was cut off by Haise's venomous tone. "Shut the fuck up and listen, I'm talking." Sasaki hissed, cracking his finger on his right hand. "I am the leader of this squad, your superior. If you continue to disrespect me there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?" He continued, tilting his head to the side and glaring viciously at Urie. "Yes." Urie replied, his ego deflating rapidly. "Yes what?" Sasaki continued. "Yes, sir…" Urie finished. "The air is thick with testosterone." Came a voice from the foyer. The three men turned to see Akira Mado. Her blonde bangs falling over the flowing white coat. Sasaki and Ginshi quickly got up from their seats as a show of respect to their leader. "Sorry you had to see that." Sasaki apologized hurriedly for his uncharacteristic actions. "No harm done. I would like to see you all in the conference room. We have information surrounding Aogiri tree." Akira said as she turned. "How are you feeling Haise?" she asked, her back to the group. The question caught Sasaki off guard. He didn't fully know the answer, nor the basis of the question. "I'm fine." He stammered, not sure that this was the correct answer. "Good. If you're not feeing yourself it's wise to tell people. I understand that this job is stressful. It would be weird if you didn't feel a problem or two." Akira said starting to slowly walk away. Sasaki let out a faint chuckle. He was happy for once. Akira always seemed to bring a smile to his face. "Alright men, lets prepare for the meeting." Haise said, picking up his glass and downing the remainder of his coffee. Ginshi laughed as he shot a glance at Urie, remembering the scene just moments ago. Urie scowled and walked casually from the room.


	3. Chapter 3

The rain tapped gently against the window pane. The scene outside was quite dreary. The street lights shone dimly through the haze. The city was bright despite the weather. The stars illuminated the night sky. Sasaki looked away from the window and back to the PowerPoint presentation in the front of the room. The words _Commission of Counter_ _Ghoul_ ricocheted randomly on the screen before him.

Certain members of the CCG were present for this meeting. Among the crowd were the Qs Squad, comprised of Urie, Ginshi, Tooru, and Saiko. Ginshi and Tooru were engaged in conversation as Saiko downed a bag of chips noisily, her pigtails bouncing as she ate. Urie sat alone, earphones embedded in his ears as usual. Juuzo twirled absentmindedly in his seat, his red stitched pattern freshly woven into his skin. Sasaki had just slipped him some candy, a common ritual they shared. Juuzo hungrily munched on the treats as Sasaki's eyes met Urie's. Urie quickly averted his gaze, doing everything he could to avoid eye contact with Haise. Sasaki was beginning to feel remorse for his actions earlier in the day. Why did he have such a vulgar outburst? Sasaki knew something wasn't right. His thoughts were interrupted as Arima and Akira entered the conference room, each holding a stack of papers.

Everyone quickly raised from their chairs as their commanding officers entered the room. "You may all be seated." Arima stated dryly as he and Akira took a seat in front of the projector. "We have a lot to cover in a short amount of time, the information we've gathered is extremely time sensitive." He continued, spreading the papers he was carrying evenly on the table in front of him. Akira produced a clicker from her pocket and aimed it at a nearby computer. Coordinates and overhead images of the surrounding wards quickly filled the adjacent wall. "We have seen an increased rate of ghoul related incidents in the 22nd ward. Missing person cases are up by 17% and homicides have almost doubled." Arima voiced.

"This recent uproar of activity has Aogiri written all over it. The CCG recently sent a small recon team of Doves to survey the area. Needless to say none of them returned alive." Akira said, picking up where Arima left off. "Haise, we've recently acquired information on a ghoul who goes by the name of Black Rabbit. He's been seen mixed up with Aogiri before. If we can find Black Rabbit we could possibly locate traces of Aogiri." "Where was this Black Rabbit last seen? The 22nd ward?" Sasaki asked, his right eyebrow raised in interest.

"Shockingly no." Arima replied, sliding a picture of Black Rabbit down the table towards the ghoul investigators. Saiko picked it up lazily and began to circulate the image around. "This is where the time sensitivity comes into play. Black rabbit was last seen in the 25th ward. Ghoul related incidents here have decreased vastly." Said Akira, aiming her glance at Sasaki. "It appears as though the ghouls here have begun to follow some sort of code of regulations, as though they're being controlled." Juuzo let out a high sigh as he finished the remainder of the snacks he'd acquired from Haise. "We're not entirely sure if he is still in the area, yet we can't afford to leave any stones unturned." "Sasaki I'll be frank." Arima stated dryly, "We are sending you to investigate the 25th ward. The rest of your squad will be in the surrounding wards: 23, 24, and 26 respectively. It wouldn't be wise having your squad all investigate the same areas as the amount of time we have for this mission is limited. Our sources say we have merely three to four days before we lose Black Rabbit."


	4. Chapter 4

The bell let out its signature chime as a customer walked through the door, closing an umbrella in the process. It was unusually late to have customers, but the shop wasn't closed. The Harmony Café was always open for those who needed a hand. "Welcome." Touka said cheerily glancing over the counter at the girl who had just entered the shop. It was one of the newer ghoul recruits, a mousey girl by the name of Katsura. She was around nineteen with light blue hair. She wore a soft expression beneath her wire frame glasses. Her flowing hair was slick against her skin from the rain. "Hi Touka." Katsura replied, eyes to the ground. She quickly took a seat near the window. "How was your day? Can I get you a cup of coffee?" Touka asked, silently staring at Katsura.

Katsura had recently wandered into the 25th ward a few months ago after a CCG raid in one of the neighboring wards. Aogiri activity was on the rise again, causing many peaceful ghouls to pay the price. Katsura's parents had been slain and she herself mortally wounded. Touka had found her bleeding on the side of the road while leaving class one rainy summer's night. Lying in a puddle of her own blood, she had begged Touka to help her. Touka personally carried her to the café and cared for her alongside Yomo, Nishiki, and Kimi. The healing process was daunting, leaving a wicked scar along her torso. Katsura considered Touka a lifesaver, idolizing her every move; and would do anything to protect the one who'd saved her life. "I'll take a cup." Katsura replied wringing out her hair a little more.

Touka quickly prepared the cup of coffee and walked over the front door. She flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED and locked the front door to Harmony Café. She sat in the booth near the window across from Katsura. Touka slid the coffee across the table to Katsura who gratefully accepted the cup. "My day was….." Katsura trailed off, eyes still glued to the floor. Touka could sense something wasn't entirely right. "What's wrong?" "Do you know someone by the name of Ayato?" The question left Katsura's lips in a faint whisper. Touka's chest burned. The name was painful, poison in her veins. "W...What?" Touka asked, her eyes wide. "Wh…Why do you ask that?" "I spoke with an Ayato today. He approached me as I was leaving my last class at the university. You two look very similar. He told me to let you know he'd be seeing you soon."

Touka couldn't breathe. Three years. It had been three years since she had heard the mention of Ayato's name. Why now? What could he possibly want? "Touka?" Katsura asked, her gaze lifting from the floor to look at an obviously disturbed Touka. "It's… It's nothing. Just promise me you'll stay away from him if you see him again." Touka pleaded, her purple hair hanging loosely over her bang as she stared into Katsura's green eyes. "He's very dangerous." "I promise Touka." Katsura replied, her eyes meeting the floor again. She quickly finished her coffee and got up from the table. "I'm going up to my room now, sorry for troubling you." Katsura said hurriedly rushing towards the stairs leading to the living area. "G'night." She said as she climbed the stairs.

_White hair. He stood before her in a room of white. A smile pierced Touka's cold demeanor as a familiar face crossed her mind. Kaneki. He walked forward slowly and embraced her tightly, letting her know that he was back, that he was home. "Touka, don't hate me." Kaneki said in a hushed tone staring down at Touka as tears welled up in her eyes. "I only did what I thought was right." "Why'd you leave Kaneki…? Why'd you leave me?" She said beating his chest weakly. Kaneki just held her tighter as the emotions overflowed_.

A dream. The smile that Touka had awoken with slowly faded at the realization. Shit. Not again. It was her third time this week dreaming of him. She was sweaty. Her pink bunny night gown clung to her skin. She'd had the dreams before, especially during the first year after his disappearance, but never this frequent. "Kaneki." The name tasted sweet as it left her lips. She lifted her hand to her eye as a tear rolled slowly down her cheek.


	5. Chapter 5

"Don't forget to check in every three hours." Haise muttered into the phone to Ginshi. He took the phone from his ear and ended the call. The 25th wards streets were busy. People with smiling faces entered the many little shops. Men and women clutching shopping bags looked at each other with cheery eyes. It was peaceful. The 25th wards change took place almost overnight. The ghoul attacks were at an all-time low, resembling numbers from the previous 20th ward. Sasaki smiled as he spied children playing with one another in a nearby park. Everyone was so happy. He couldn't let Aogiri Tree defy that joy. Haise couldn't let this ward become like the others.

The sun set around 7:30 as Sasaki continued to roam the streets of the 25th ward, the temperature had dropped slightly, causing Sasaki to pull his pull his coat tighter around his slender frame. The population on the streets were dwindling as Haise headed towards his hotel. He'd found a nice hotel across the street from a Café. The smell of coffee was quite tempting, yet Sasaki knew that the case was more important than caffeine. He waited for a few cars to pass as the light turned red and made his way across the street. A paper bag drifted aimlessly with the wind. Sasaki arrived at the hotel and entered the building.

Haise exited the elevator and made his way down the dimly lit hallway. Further ahead he spied three men standing about. The men turned to face the familiar chime of the elevator. A smile spread across their faces, their eyes changing from the usual white to black with red pupils. Haise continued down the hallway steadily. "What do we have here?" one of the men said, bumping hard into Sasaki. Haise didn't flinch. He felt something welling up deep within him. "Looks like a little Dove bitch." One of the other men replied, smiling harder, his teeth filed down to points. "And he doesn't even have his suitcase!" Haise let out a giggle, a smirk spreading across his face. "What the fuck is so funny?" The final ghoul asked in a husky voice.

"You're all so weak." Haise said dryly, looking at the tallest ghoul viciously. _Haisssseeeee….. _The voice in Sasaki's head came again. A searing pain erupted in his head. Haise reacted instantly, pulling his hands to his temples. _Let me in… _He couldn't. Haise refused to allow this _thing _inside. "What's his deal?" one of the ghouls said, pulling his fist back to strike Sasaki. The pain stopped in Sasaki's head as he caught the ghoul's fist in one swift motion. "This belongs to me now." "Wh…What?" the ghoul said shocked. Haise squeezed hard. The bones of the ghouls hand buckled and crunched beneath the pressure. The skin ruptured as the bone splintered outward. The ghoul screamed in agony as Haise began to pull. The ghouls sleeve ripped as his arm was separated messily from the rest of his body.

"What's one thousand minus seven?" Haise asked dropping the arm carelessly, his smile stretching wider on his twisted face. _This isn't me…_ Sasaki brought his own hand upward and cracked the knuckle on his right hand. "Leave now." Haise hissed, bringing his other hand up to clutch his temple as the pain returned. The two ghouls grabbed their injured friend and quickly shuffled down the hallway. Haise snapped back, realizing his actions weren't of his own doing; his hand still in position after cracking his knuckle. "What's happening to me?" He stated, banging his hand angrily into the wall. It crumbled against the force. He needed to clear his mind, and coffee sounded amazing.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Thank you all soooo much for taking interest in my story! Actually means a lot. Hope you all continue to enjoy! Big things coming up in the next few chapters ;)**

The lamppost above flickered to life as Ayato wandered through the streets of the 25th ward. He shoved his hands into his jacket as the rain drizzled from above. "Harmony." he mumbled to himself as he rounded the corner. The smell of blood was faint in the air. "He ripped off my fucking arm!" Ayato heard a deep voice growl, obviously in pain. "Fuck that white haired prick." He heard another voice grumble. "White hair…" Ayato said faintly to himself as he spotted the source of the commotion a few meters in front of him. The three ghouls were huddled together near the entrance of an alleyway. "Hmm, may as well." Ayato said as he slowly approached the group. "Hey!" he yelled, getting their attention.

"What now?" One of the ghouls said, noticing Ayato approaching nonchalantly. He stopped a few feet away as the two uninjured ghouls stood to meet Ayato's gaze. "I couldn't help but overhear you mention something about a man with white hair." Ayato said, glaring at the huskier of the two. "What's it to you?" the ghoul shot back. "I'm curious. Don't get on my bad side. Obviously you got on his bad side and things didn't turn out too well for you." Ayato replied, glancing at the ghoul who clutched what was left of his arm. "I'd advise you to tell me what I want to know and I might spare your life." The ghouls glanced at each other, thinking over Ayato's offer.

"Fine." The taller ghoul spoke up, "We attacked a CCG fucker with white hair at the hotel near that café. He was crazy strong. Couldn't possibly be human." "Sounds about right." Ayato replied, slipping his hands from his leather jacket. "Anything else?" "Not that I can remember. We were mostly trying to get away from that damn psycho." Ayato glanced away from the ghouls and peered down the street. He was fairly close to the café. "Looks like I'll be seeing you sooner than I expected, Touka." Ayato murmured as a vicious smile crossed his face. "Thank you." He said as the black wings erupted from his back, showering the ghouls in a barrage of sharp crystals.

The glasses clanged together as Touka placed them neatly on the shelf. The rain outside began to become audible as it fell harder. Touka placed another glass and clumsily lost her grip. The glass fell to the floor and shattered upon impact. Her thoughts were raddled. "Ayato." She said to herself under her breath. She knelt to pick up the larger pieces of the glass. Touka had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn't right. Outside the storm began to become more intense. Thunder clapped in the distance, adding to Touka's uneasy feeling. She finished cleaning up the glass and made her way to the tables, quickly wiping them with a cloth. Hetare had more than likely gotten loose from his cage again.

"Damn bird…" Touka let out a growl as she made her way back behind the counter. Hetare would be loose until tomorrow when the other members of Harmony café returned. A stray piece of glass crunched beneath her shoe. As she bent to retrieve the pieces a clap of thunder filled the sky. The loud noise muffled the signature ring of the bell as a customer entered Harmony café unannounced.

"This dump hasn't changed one bit." Came a familiar voice from the entrance of the café. Touka's blood ran cold. It couldn't be, she thought to herself, still crouched behind the counter. "I figured if you moved locations you would at least change the place up a bit." Ayato continued. Touka couldn't move. With the glass still clutched in her hand she was frozen in place. "Come out sis, I can smell how weak you are from all the way over here." Ayato smirked snidely.


	7. Chapter 7

"Don't look so scared. I'm just here to talk to you idiot." Ayato said approaching Touka, his hands in his pockets as usual. Touka glared at him viciously, sensing ill will in his words. "About what?" she hissed, walking to the front of the counter. "Long story short, Aogiri is interested in that shit Eyepatch." Ayato replied, disdain in his voice.

Touka shuddered. _Kaneki…_ "So why are you here? No one has seen Kaneki in years." Touka replied. "Oh quite the contrary sis, Aogiri has been watching your precious Eyepatch for a while now." Touka's eyes widened. Her knees felt weak against the strain of Ayato's words. "That idiot is actually a lot closer than you'd think." Ayato continued.

"What the hell does Aogiri want with Kaneki?!" Touka yelled, her heart beginning to beat faster. "Why would I tell you that ass? I'm just following orders." Ayato replied, taking his hands from his pockets. In the distance another clap of thunder pierced the night sky. "Now that we're done with all the formalities, I'm going to have to have you come with me. Aogiri thinks you'll make decent collateral to interest that shitty Eyepatch." Ayato said, approaching Touka slowly. "As if I'd come with you." Touka replied sharply, her eyes becoming shrouded in black as her pupil flashed red. "I was hoping you'd make me use force." Ayato laughed as the black cascaded into his eyes. "I can't wait to make you bleed again, shitty sister."

Touka rushed forward and leapt into the air swiftly, coming down with a powerful kick. Ayato blocked quickly and grabbed his sister's leg. He leaned back and launched her into the table she was cleaning moments before. The table cracked and buckled as Touka collided, breaking upon impact. "Still fucking weak I see." Ayato said, an expression of hatred painted on his face. Touka quickly rose from the wreckage and unleashed her ukaku, the black wing billowing faintly. With another jump she was quickly in the air, raining crystals upon her brother. Ayato effortlessly dodged as Touka landed. The low ceiling limited her fighting ability. Ayato was upon her almost instantly, burying his fist into her stomach. Pain ignited Touka's entire body. Touka rocketed backwards from the force of the punch, colliding with a nearby wall. "Give it up, you're a weakling, just like our fucking father!" Ayato yelled, becoming infuriated. He shot forward and grabbed Touka by the neck, pinning her against the wall. "The weak have no fucking place in this world!"

Blood spurted from Touka's mouth as Ayato tightened his grip. "I should fucking kill you sis." He said venomously, his black wings snaking from his back. "Ka….Kaneki.." Touka mumbled, struggling against Ayato's grip. "Even in the face of death you rely on others! You fucking idiot!" Ayato yelled throwing his sister to the floor. She rose slowly, crystalizing her wing. "Still not giving up?" Ayato smirked, his wings hardening. "Being around all these damn humans has weakened you. You're a monster. No better than me!" He rushed forward, and with a swift kick, Touka was airborne. Ayato leapt quickly and knocked Touka back downwards. Her body lay almost lifeless as she struggled to breathe.

Ayato walked casually over to his sister and lifted her by her neck once more. Blood trickled from either side of Touka's mouth as she stared into Ayato's vicious eyes. "You're a ghoul you damn idiot!" He roared, choking her.

The bell above the door to Harmony café jingled as a patron entered. Ayato averted his gaze from his injured sister to the entrance. A smile stretched across his face. "Speak of the fucking devil!" He roared as he tilted Touka's head towards the door. Her eyes widened in shock. Despite the white coat she was well aware of who was at the door. "K…Kane..ki?" She mouthed as Ayato released her. Touka fell to the floor in a heap.

"Shitty Eyepatch!" Ayato bellowed. _TOUKA! I'll RIP HIM TO FUCKING PIECES!_ Sasaki's head pulsed like never before_. HAISEEEEEEEE!_ The ghouls before him were sickeningly familiar. Haise raised his hand to his left eye once again. The voice in his head was in a rage. The anger made his stomach tight. _Haiseeeeeeee… You know what you are! _The voice screamed in his head, he couldn't take this pain anymore.

_Accept me… _The pain was gone. Instantaneous relief. "I know you fucking hear me!" Ayato screamed as he unleashed crystals upon the white coated figure. The four appendages erupted from Sasaki's back, blocking all of Ayato's projectiles. Sasaki walked over to Touka and picked her up slowly, placing her on a nearby booth. "Kaneki?" The name escaped Touka's lips faintly.

"Yes…. I'm here Touka." Kaneki replied, black pouring into his left eye as the pupil shifted red. Kaneki turned to face Ayato, raising his right hand. "You've hurt Touka again." He said softly, cracking his knuckle. "I'll have to hurt you now. Right?" Kaneki continued, tilting his head and flashing a frightening smile.


	8. Chapter 8

Ayato flipped backwards to dodge an attack from one of Kaneki's kagune, landing on his feet a few meters away. Kaneki rushed forward, retracting his tentacles. He was upon Ayato swiftly, delivering a powerful punch. Ayato blocked the punch with his left hand and ducked low to sweep Kaneki's feet with a kick. Kaneki jumped quickly and answered with a kick of his own, flipping back as Ayato shielded himself from the attack.

"You've gotten stronger." Kaneki said faintly, slowly unbuttoning his white coat. "This won't be a repeat of last time, Shitty Eyepatch!" Ayato yelled as Kaneki's coat dropped to the ground. Kaneki dashed forward, a black blur, kicking Ayato cleanly across the cheek. Ayato rocketed through a nearby window and into the street. "I was hoping to avoid fighting you in front of Touka, as well as causing damage to the café." Kaneki said to Ayato as he climbed through the window he'd launched Ayato through, debris crunching under his shoe.

"One eyed bastard." Ayato said as wings burst from his back. Ayato strafed right and showered Kaneki in a hail of projectiles. Kaneki released four of his tentacles, forming a defensive barrier to protect him from the crystals. Ayato changed course quickly and was upon Kaneki in an instant, dodging as Kaneki's kagune slammed downward. Ayato was in the air, a smile stretching across his face. The crystals came again, this time catching Kaneki off guard.

Kaneki was knocked to the ground as his skin was pierced from the attack. Ayato landed as Kaneki rose to his feet, his wounds beginning to heal. "Tch!" Ayato scoffed as he crystallized his wings. With another impressive show of speed, Ayato dashed forward and brought the wing down upon Kaneki, who blocked with his own Kagune. "Again, you are Touka's only brother. Therefore I'm not allowed to kill you." Kaneki said as sparks erupted from the collision of attacks. Two more kagune slithered from Kaneki's back. "But I will have to punish you." Kaneki said as his tentacles wrapped around Ayato's wing.

Kaneki effortlessly lifted Ayato from the ground and brought him into the air. "Fuck!" the words escaped Ayato's lips as Kaneki slammed him down on the concrete. He lifted him again and slammed him once more. Ayato tried to get up, but winced in pain as he felt the bones in his leg crack. "You're broken." Kaneki said as he walked to Ayato's side.

"Fuck you Eyepatch!" Ayato yelled as Kaneki delivered a kick to his temple. Cracking his knuckle, Kaneki brought one of his kagune into Ayato's shoulder, piercing the flesh. Ayato screamed out in despair as Kaneki pushed the tentacle deeper.

"I was thinking. Last time it was your bones. It would be awfully unoriginal if I did that twice." Kaneki said as Ayato began to struggle, releasing his wing. Kaneki slammed his kagune into Ayato's free wing, piercing the kagune. "You have plenty of organs..." Kaneki continued. "Yet I would hate to cause internal damage from which you can't heal. So I decided to damage your external organ. Your largest external organ to be precise." Yet another kagune erupted from Kaneki's back. It writhed as it snaked around Kaneki's body. "I'm going to skin you." The kagune sliced across Ayato's uncovered arm, removing a thin layer of skin. "Ahhhhhh!" Ayato screamed once more as blood began to trickle.

The next slice removed skin cleanly from Ayato's face. "FUCK YOU EYEPATCH!" Ayato screamed as Kaneki's rinkaku sliced through his jacket to reveal his torso. The cuts were quick. The muscle tissue glimmered under the fluorescent light of the above lamppost.

The rain came down in sheets as the blood began to pool under Ayato's broken frame. "Are you still with me?" Kaneki asked, cracking his knuckle as he cleaved flesh from Ayato's right arm. "FUCKKKKK!" Ayato let out an animalistic screech. He shivered as his vision began to blur; the loss of blood coupled with the burning pain were almost too much to take. "UGGGGHHH!" more bestial screams erupted. A second kagune began to join in, dicing Ayato with ease. "AHHHHH SHIII..." The screaming continued. The sheets of flesh were scattered haphazardly as more blood stained the street. The torture continued for a few more minutes until Ayato's screams ceased. Kaneki removed his kagune from Ayato as they disappeared in a red cloud. Ayato groaned in pain as he continued to bleed. "Why were you here tonight?" Kaneki asked Ayato shortly, bending down to look him in the eyes. Ayato spat blood into Kaneki's face. Ayato glared weakly into Kaneki's black eye. "He was here for you, Kaneki." came a soft voice from a few meters away.

Kaneki turned to see a two figures approaching from further down the road. A short bandaged figure wrapped in a purple cloak walked casually down the road. Eto clapped her hands happily as Tatara came to her side, his white cloak flowing. The rain rolled down his red mask. "Nice to see you again, Kaneki!" the mummified figure said happily as she laid eyes upon Kaneki. "You've made quite a mess of Ayato." She continued. Kaneki rose to his feet. "What exactly do you want?" Kaneki asked walking nonchalantly towards the pair. "Two things." Eto stated calmly, dropping her hands to her sides. "One, we came to retrieve Ayato." Eto shot a glance at Tatara behind her bandaged eyes. Tatara vanished momentarily and reappeared beside Ayato. His speed was frightening.

"And two, we simply wish to ignite a war with the humans." Kaneki's eyes widened. "We simply can't coexist. One faction will always thrive for power. Humans are the cattle. We are the hunters. Humans are merely food. Why must ghouls stick to the shadows while humans have free roam of the world? Aogiri merely wants what we deserve. Total domination of each ward. Will you be on the winning side, Kaneki?" Eto ended with a giggle. "Think about it… Aogiri could use more ghouls like yourself, Centipede." A sly smirk stretching across her face.

Tatara heaved Ayato onto his shoulder and vanished once again. "Any ghouls who aren't with us, are against us." Eto stated as she too vanished, leaving Kaneki standing in the rain alone.


	9. Chapter 9

Yomo and Nishiki replaced the window the next day. The sun beamed through the clouds above as the rain cleared. The torrential downpour had served to wash away the blood from the events the night before. Harmony was closed in order to make repairs. Nishiki quietly swept up the debris and clutter outside of Harmony as Yomo made repairs on the inside. The events that had taken place at Harmony the night before were barely noticeable. Aside from a few broken tables in the trash, no one would have known that an Aogiri attack had happened the previous night.

"Damn Touka." Nishiki said to Yomo as he entered the café, the bell sounding his arrival. Yomo turned to face him. "She's doing better." Yomo replied, polishing and placing glasses on a nearby shelf. Nishiki took a seat in one of the nearby booths and sipped the coffee somberly. "You should check on her." Yomo said, his back turned. Nishiki sipped his coffee once more and glanced towards the stairs leading to the rooms above.

Katsura and Hinami sat together on a couch in Touka's room. Touka lay in bed, her eyes closed tight. "Is big sis going to be ok?" Hinami shot a question to Katsura as she looked up from her book. "Her injuries have healed for the most part, she just needs rest." Katsura replied, adjusting her glasses. Katsura was lost in her thoughts. _Why hadn't Touka told me about Kaneki and Ayato…_ she pondered to herself, becoming agitated. _I have to make sure nothing happens to Touka again… no matter what.._ A knock on Touka's door interrupted Katsura's thoughts.

Nishiki entered Touka's room silently. "Yo." He let out a low greeting as he spied Touka across the room. Katsura and Hinami glanced at him and acknowledged his entrance. "How is the dumbass?" Nishiki asked, coming to stand beside Hinami. "Don't you talk about Touka like that!" Katsura yelled back. She and Nishiki were always arguing over the way he handled Touka. "Shut the hell up!" Nishiki replied angrily. "Both of you shut up." Came Touka's voice from the bed. "See you woke her up!" Katsura yelled again. Nishiki ignored her and glanced at Touka as she pulled the blanket from her slender frame.

"I don't think you should be getting out of bed yet, sister." Hinami said as Touka began to rise from the bed. "I feel better. I can manage." Touka replied, a gentle smile crossing her face. Katsura ran to her side as Touka stumbled, catching her. Touka regained her balance. "I'm fine." Touka said quietly, standing on her own. "There's somewhere I'd like to go…" Touka said quietly as Katsura took a step back. "You're going to talk to him aren't you…?" Katsura said under her breath, her features dark behind her glasses.

"Katsu…" Touka said quietly, using the nickname she had given Katsura. Katsura hung her head low and quietly walked towards the door. "Hinami, I could use your help." Katsura said as she left Touka's room, Hinami following close behind. Touka changed her tone as the pair exited her room.

"We have to go talk to Kaneki." Touka said calmly to Nishiki. "He was dressed as a dove when he arrived."

Nishiki squinted behind his glasses. He had noticed the white coat upon arriving to perform his shift the next day, and had immediately caused an uproar. Yomo and the rest of the crew of Harmony café were terrified at the possibilities until Touka, still quite injured had vaguely told them of how Kaneki came to her aid. Nishiki as well as the other Harmony staff still hadn't seen Kaneki, who was locked the spare room on the third floor.

"So Kaneki was the one wearing the coat. Was there a suitcase with him?" Nishiki asked, glaring at Touka. "He didn't have a suitcase. I have no clue why he could be wearing a dove uniform. Only he has the answers." She continued. Nishiki scoffed and turned to exit the room. "Well I suggest we have a chat with him." He said as he exited, leaving. Touka followed Nishiki out of the room as they made their way towards Kaneki's room.

Kaneki tossed the cell phone onto the bed. It landed softly and tumbled a few times until it came to rest on a nearby pillow. "37 missed calls." He muttered under his breath. Missed calls from Ginshi and Urie adorned his home screen.

The last three years were a blur to him. Glimpses of chasing ghouls, white coats, and suitcases inundated his psyche. One element was prevalent in his memory. His squad._ I don't want to forget you… _It hurt to remember. Searing pain ignited behind his eyes. Kaneki brought his hand to his temple_. You were happy…_ came a low voice in his mind.

"Kaneki?" came Touka's voice from the other side of his locked door. The voice in his mind vanished.

Kaneki unlocked the door and allowed those on the other side to enter. Yomo, Nishiki, Hinami and Touka entered the room silently. "Nice to see you all again." Kaneki said, a smile softening his features as he greeted his friends.

"Brother!" Hinami said running to hug Kaneki. "You've grown Hinami!" Kaneki smiled harder. "I'm much better with reading as well!" She replied. "Big sister has been helping me since you went away." Tears began to swell in Hinami's eyes. "Why'd you go away big brother…?" She asked as her emotions overflowed.

Kaneki held her tight. "I'm sorry." He said quietly as she backed away and wiped her eyes. Nishiki took a seat in a nearby chair as Yomo walked over to Kaneki. Yomo bent to Kaneki's height and stared deeply into his eyes.

Kaneki let out an uncomfortable yelp Yomo inched closer. "Good to have you back." Yomo said lowly, giving Kaneki his space. He turned silently and left the room. "Kaneki, where…. Where have you been?" Touka shot the question quickly to Kaneki, breaking the silence.

Kaneki let out a low chuckle and placed his hand on his chin. "Funny thing is…. I don't really remember!" He closed his eyes and laughed lowly. He couldn't let them know what he did remember, being untruthful was for the better.

Touka noticed Kaneki's hand placement. Her gaze immediately fell to the floor. _He's lying…_ she thought, remembering Hide's words. "Why are you dressed as a dove?" Nishiki asked. "I'm really not sure. Every time I try to remember something there's pain. Hopefully it comes back… I'm just as in the dark as you are." Kaneki replied. "Well there's no way in hell we're letting you stay around here dressed like that!" Touka said angrily. "Touka?" Kaneki said confused.

"We left you a formal uniform outside your door, brother!" Hinami piped up.

"This is a café after all. The name may have changed but the premise is still the same!" Touka said leaving the room. "Welcome to Harmony café ass!" Nishiki said with a smirk as he and Hinami left Kaneki to get dressed.

Kaneki let out another smile. He was happy here as well.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Sorry about the mixup. Uploaded the wrong doc. :) Thanks again for the support. Hope you enjoy!**

"Still no word from Q squad leader Sasaki Haise." Urie reported to Akira as the sun above began to set. Ginshi and Urie were reporting their findings to Akira in her office on the 4th floor of the CCG building. She looked up from her stack of papers as Urie and Ginshi spoke. "We have also failed to gather knowledge surrounding the Black Rabbit." He continued. A concerned expression crossed Akira's face upon receiving the news. "We made multiple attempts to contact him." Ginshi stated, removing his phone from his pocket as evidence. "We should probably go lookin' for him!" "Unfortunately at this time it would be unwise to further spread our forces. Ghoul attacks have become more frequent, the safety of the people is our top priority." Akira replied sternly. "We have also managed to lose our only lead surrounding the increase in Aogiri tree activity. It is best that we regroup our efforts and track down ghouls affiliated with the organization."

Akira scribbled something in her notes as she stood from her chair. How long has Haise been gone?" She aimed her question at Urie. "It's been four days since we last spoke to him. We were told to check in every three hours. Shortly after we lost all contact with him."

This isn't good. Akira though to herself. Without proper management of his Rc levels they'll begin to rise. His memory will be coming back to him relatively soon.

"We'll send a small party to see if there are any clues surrounding his disappearance." Akira stated, rethinking things. "In the meantime it's best that we appoint a new leader of the Qs Squad. Urie, seeing as you previously held the title, its best that you be put in charge again." Akira continued. A sly smirk stretched across Urie's face. "Thank you ma'am. It'd be my pleasure." Urie replied. "I'm going to have to finish the remainder of this work now. Please do your best to find out anything you can surrounding Aogiri." Akira replied as Urie and Ginshi exited her office.

Hide awoke in his quarters in a secret section of the CCG. Tucked away in an abandoned wing of the building, Hide's quarters were near a section where experiments were being executed. Hide himself wasn't a participant, yet he had seen many humans becoming ghoul hybrids. "Quinx." Hide played with the word. "I wonder how Kaneki is…" He trailed off, glancing at Kaneki's mask which was hidden stealthily among Hide's belongings.

Hide had managed to acquire the mask during the Anteiku raid before slipping into the sewers.

If he's as strong as you say I won't kill him. He will be used as a tool for the protection of CCG, nothing more, nothing less. He won't be the same person he was before, yet he will be alive… Hide thought back to Arima's words as Hide begged him to spare Kaneki's life.

Hide had played a vital role in developing the persona of Sasaki for Kaneki. Just like one of the characters in his books… "Anything for a friend." Hide said with a laugh. Hide thought back to carrying the sack of flesh through the battlefield in order to feed Kaneki. By enabling Kaneki to fight on par with Arima, he had ensured Kaneki's survival.

Hide hadn't seen Sasaki, Kaneki's new name, around for the past few days. Hide was instructed by Akira and Arima to remain out of sight while Sasaki was present. If Sasaki ever began to realize who he really was, Arima had informed Hide he wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

Hide rose from the bed and walked quietly over to the mask. He lifted it up with his right hand and played with the zipper. Dried blood adorned the mouth region. If Kaneki wasn't in the building, he wasn't receiving his suppressants… Hide thought logically. I need to speak with Akira.

Urie strolled into Dr. Shiba's office. The doctor looked lazily up from his computer. "Hi Urie. Nice to see you again." Shiba said as Urie came to rest in front of his desk. "I'll get straight to the point. Would it be possible to push my kagune even further?" Urie quizzed Shiba.

"Pushing your kagune any further would make you a full ghoul. You'll lose the ability to digest human food. You're currently at your limit in order to still be considered human." Urie pondered the thought of abandoning his humanity. "In the end it would all boil down to whether you're prepared to live the life of a ghoul…" Shiba murmured not looking up from his monitor. Urie glared at the doctor. "You're the squad leader now correct? Nothing is holding you back except your own inhibitions." Shiba continued, finally raising his gaze from the screen to acknowledge Urie.

Power… That's all I want…

"I wish to have the surgery." Urie uttered.

A sinister smile adorned the doctor's face. "Splendid." He said. "Uh… Urie. I would appreciate it if this exchange would stay solely between the two of us." Shiba squinted. Urie returned the menacing glare. "Anything you say doctor." Urie responded faintly, turning and exiting the doctor's office.

"Come in." Akira answered as a knock rattled her office door. The knob turned and Hide entered, quickly shutting the door behind himself. "Haven't seen you in a while." Akira stated, motioning for Hide to take a seat. His orange hair bounced messily as he sat. "You're here regarding Sasaki?" Akira shot the question quickly.

"I haven't seen him lately. Has something happened?" Hide quizzed. "I'll be honest with you." Akira said, meeting Hide's gaze. "We lost contact with Sasaki in the 25th ward. It's been a few days. You're well aware of what that means. Without his Rc Suppressants, he will revert to his former self." Akira continued. A grimace met Hide's lips. "I'm sure that you wish to stop this from happening." Hide said, his frown slowly dissolving.

"You sound as though you have a solution? You may have been able to save his life once. I doubt the same can be done twice." Akira replied, doubt in her voice. "Not technically a solution ma'am, I just want to help look for my friend." Hide said with an innocent smile. "Allow me to join the team that you send to search for clues. I'm assuming they'll be operating in secrecy as well as leaving soon. I just wish to help." Akira scoffed. "The group will be leaving at sundown to investigate the 25th ward. A small team of three. You're not allowed to associate yourself with this group in any way." Akira stated looking back to her paperwork. Hide's eyes dropped to his feet. "However, anything you do on your own is none of my business."

Hide looked back up to Akira with a smile. "Our secret." Akira stated nonchalantly, shuffling her papers.

The moon beamed down, casting numerous shadows on the café. Hide clutched Kaneki's mask in his right hand, the black leather hang loosely. Hide placed the mask onto the welcome mat of the café with a smile. "This belongs with you Kaneki…" He said faintly as he turned and mounted his bike.


End file.
